Niner RLT 9 Steel Gravel Bike Frame

It’s not written anywhere in any contract that in order to buy the Niner RLT 9 Steel you have to turn into a bikepacking aficionado. But if you should want to, or perhaps are already an expert, Niner certainly has made this frame with that sort of purpose in mind.

Of course, the RLT 9 Steel rides so well, you can use it for everything from an endurance roadie to multiday or even multiweek bikepacker with hardly a need to catch breath. The first amazingly great thing about this frame is that it is made with steel. And not just any old steel but Reynolds 853 Steel. The gold standard of steel, if you will. That means you will get the ultimate in suppleness mixed with the perfect level of stiffness. It’s a gorgeous combination, especially for anyone looking to spend many hours of several days on gravel roads of varying degrees of roughness. And it just looks so great, you can feel like you’re on a classic steel bike while still making use of the best modern advancements of frame design.

For instance, the seatstays have an elegant lateral curve that helps to absorb road chatter while the tapered headtube increases the bike’s stability which is especially important riding and particularly descending rough roads. The front and rear though axles will also do their bit to increase your stability and security in handling and over the crappy roads that we love. Fitting up to 45mm tires will also help add a touch of modern bikepacking comfort. And on the assumption you will one day really want to head out on that weeklong adventure just you and your bike, rack and fender mounts on the frame and fork have been included. In fact, the forks have three mounting bolts on each leg, which will give you all sorts of options. Just be sure you’re not weighing it down with more than 45 pounds of gear. And the rear mounts can handle up to 55 pounds.

Internal cable routing will also give you that level of modernity that is what we’re all about, especially since you can wire this baby up with Di2, and even have it as a 1X, 2X, or seriously old skool 3X setup. With an endless amount of attention to detail, Niner have managed to make the RLT 9 Steel to hippest, most efficient gravel cross bike you can imagine, whether you are looking to enjoy afternoons in the woods or weeks on the byways.